이 글은 도시 지리 공간 특성에 따른 극장의 변별성을 알아보기 위해 식민지 개항도시 군산 지역 극장의 장소성을 밝히고 있다. 場所性은 특정의 물리적 공간에서 벌어지는 인간의 활동 및 이에 따라 개인과 집단이 공간에 부여한 가치와 의미를 밝히는 개념이다. 군산은 일본 제국의 미곡 생산과 수탈을 위해 일본인 이주 및 정착을 위한 도시를 기획하면서 조선인을 도시 주변으로 축출한 지역이다. 군산의 양대 극장 喜笑舘과 群山座/군산극장은 조선인과 일본인 종족 간 경계의 접점 또는 조선인 거주지 중심에 등장했다. 이 글은 먼저, 지역 극장 성격 분석을 위한 전제 조건으로 종족별 도시 공간의 이중성과 극장이 자리한 장소의 성격을 밝히고 있다. 다음으로, 극장 프로그램 구성의 시대별 특징을 살펴 식민지 조선인에게 극장의 기능과 역할 및 그 의미를 구명한다. 마지막으로, 극장 흥행과 관객 구성 그리고 조선인의 극장가기(cinema-going) 경험의 역사성을 규명하고 있다. 식민지 군산 지역 극장은 식민지 근대화의 외부적 존재인 土幕民과 遊廓 그리고 衛生 담론과 연관되어 있었다. 극장은 프로그램 구성을 통해 식민제국 문화정치 실현과 문화운동을 둘러싼 수용과 경합을 벌이면서 제한적으로 조선인 公論場 역할을 수행했다. 1930년대 군산극장이 조선상설관으로 전환되었지만 영화 관람은 조선인 일부 관객에게만 제한적으로 허용되는 일이었다. 대다수 조선인 대중의 열악한 경제 상황으로 인해 극장 영화 관람은 일상생활 세계 경험이 될 수 없었다. 종족 간 우열 논리가 지배하는 개항도시 군산의 극장 영화 관람은 他者化된 존재로서 조선인 정체성을 환기시키는 경험을 제공했다.

This work examines the historicity of the placeness of movie theaters in the city of Kunsan, the north Chula province, one of treaty ports in colonial Korea. The terminology of the 'placeness' signifies the values and meanings of the specific locations produced by the socio-cultural activities of ordinary people. In a scholarly exploration of the cinema history it is imperative to consider the geographical locations that are related to the practices of film exhibition and film viewing at a specific time period. In this regard, I explore three dimensions of the placeness of movie theaters in order to demonstrate the historicity of film exhibitions and film reception and the roles of movie theaters: the location of movies theaters in relation to ethnicity, the functions and roles of movie theaters to Colonial Korean community, and the cinema-going experiences to Colonial Korean in the city. I argue how the placeness of movie theaters was constructed by the socio-economical climates such as a large number of Korean in poverty and the red-light district in the city of Kunsan. The ethnical activities and repertories in movie theaters had a significant meaning to ordinary people in Colonial Korea. Contending the politics of culture exercised by Japanese colonizers in the 1920s, the ordinary Korean people acknowledged movie theaters, especially the Kunsan Theater, as the place for public opinion standing for Colonial Korean community. However, the extreme poverty of the majority of Korean restricted the usefulness of movie theaters as a place of entertainment in the 1930s. A handful Korean people did experience the film viewing in movie theaters. To make things worse, the cinema-going experience to Korean evoked the objectified identity of Korean as an inferior and uncivilized people which was molded by the 'black umbrella' of Japanese colonialism.

This work examines the historicity of the placeness of movie theaters in the city of Kunsan, the north Chula province, one of treaty ports in colonial Korea. The terminology of the 'placeness' signifies the values and meanings of the specific locations produced by the socio-cultural activities of ordinary people. In a scholarly exploration of the cinema history it is imperative to consider the geographical locations that are related to the practices of film exhibition and film viewing at a specific time period. In this regard, I explore three dimensions of the placeness of movie theaters in order to demonstrate the historicity of film exhibitions and film reception and the roles of movie theaters: the location of movies theaters in relation to ethnicity, the functions and roles of movie theaters to Colonial Korean community, and the cinema-going experiences to Colonial Korean in the city. I argue how the placeness of movie theaters was constructed by the socio-economical climates such as a large number of Korean in poverty and the red-light district in the city of Kunsan. The ethnical activities and repertories in movie theaters had a significant meaning to ordinary people in Colonial Korea. Contending the politics of culture exercised by Japanese colonizers in the 1920s, the ordinary Korean people acknowledged movie theaters, especially the Kunsan Theater, as the place for public opinion standing for Colonial Korean community. However, the extreme poverty of the majority of Korean restricted the usefulness of movie theaters as a place of entertainment in the 1930s. A handful Korean people did experience the film viewing in movie theaters. To make things worse, the cinema-going experience to Korean evoked the objectified identity of Korean as an inferior and uncivilized people which was molded by the 'black umbrella' of Japanese colonialism.

, , , , , , , ,

placeness, city of Kunsan, cinema history, movie theaters, politics of culture, a red-light district, poverty, cinema-going experience